New Delhi: India vice-captain Axar Patel produced two remarkable moments on the field that turned the tide in India’s semi-final win over England at the Wankhede Stadium, and the all-rounder later revealed which of the two catches he felt was the tougher one.Push boundaries with our YouTube channel. Subscribe now!India leads England by seven runs in the semi-finals of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in Mumbai after scoring a whopping 499 runs in two innings. While the batsmen dominated the match, Axar’s athleticism on the field also proved decisive.
The first moment of magic came in England’s chase as the dangerous Harry Brooke looked ready to attack. Brooke missed a shot that seemed destined to fall safely thanks to a slower delivery from Jasprit Bumrah. But Axar sprinted back nearly 24 meters from cover, tracked the ball over his shoulder and made a brilliant diving catch.Wankhede fans erupted as an early breakthrough halted England’s attacking start.Watch the first point:Aksa’s second brilliant performance came in the 14th inning, when England’s counterattack threatened the direction of the game. Jacob Bethel and Will Jacks formed a dangerous partnership, with Jacks chipping a long ball deep from Ardeep Singh. Axar sprinted to the left, grabbed the ball before crossing the boundary rope and passed it deftly to Shivam Dube in a stunning team effort.The run-out broke a 77-run winning streak and brought India back into the game.Watch Point 2:When asked to choose between the two fielding gems, Axar admitted that Jack’s catch was more critical in terms of game situations, but thought Brook’s catch was more difficult.“When I first caught Harry Brooke, which was a really good catch for me, it was tough,” Aksa said with a laugh. “But if you look at the situation and the way England were batting, Will Jacks’ catch was very important in breaking that partnership.”“If you ask me defensively, Harry Brooke’s catch was more difficult. Yeah, luckily today, I think the ball was chasing me,” he joked.Despite Bethel’s brilliant century, India eventually kept their cool and set up a summit meeting with New Zealand at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
